It is well known that medical and/or hazardous waste is often not disposed of properly and the public may come into contact with such medical and/or hazardous waste, including but not limited to drug paraphernalia, drugs, spoons, syringes, needles, etc. For example, medical, EMT personnel, police, fire and rescue, teachers and other persons may come into contact with such paraphernalia on a daily basis and need to handle, transport and/or remove the paraphernalia to protect the public. It is not safe to pick up such hazardous materials with your bare hands and even utilizing rubber or protective gloves will not necessarily prevent puncture of the gloves and exposure to the hazardous materials.
While it is known to use pliers or other devices to pick up the hazardous materials as well as certain devices for picking up animal feces, these devices suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, most of these devices do not allow for proper handling and/or transport of the hazardous materials as they fail to encapsulate the hazardous materials. Furthermore, many of these devices are quite complex, which increases the cost and ease of manufacturing as well as the ease of use and transport.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device for handling and transporting hazardous materials and waste, which provides increased protection and safety for the individual transporting the hazardous materials as well as the public at large by enclosing, sealing and locking the hazardous material for more efficient transport to the appropriate disposal location.